⁸ The powerful possess the land,
    and the favored live in it.

¹⁵ elders and dignitaries are the head,
    and prophets who teach lies are the tail,^(A)

³ Their hands are skilled to do evil;
    the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
    thus they pervert justice.^[a](A)

³ captain of fifty
    and dignitary,
counselor and skillful magician
    and expert enchanter.

⁸ On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among humankind.^(A)

³⁴ because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
    and the contempt of families terrified me,
    so that I kept silence and did not go out of doors—^(A)

⁷ When I went out to the gate of the city,
    when I took my seat in the square,
⁸ the young men saw me and withdrew,
    and the aged rose up and stood;
⁹ the nobles refrained from talking
    and laid their hands on their mouths;^(A)
10 the voices of princes were hushed,
    and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.^(B)
11 When the ear heard, it commended me,
    and when the eye saw, it approved,
¹² because I delivered the poor who cried
    and the orphan who had no helper.^(C)
13 The blessing of the wretched came upon me,
    and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.^(D)
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
    my justice was like a robe and a turban.^(E)
15 I was eyes to the blind
    and feet to the lame.
¹⁶ I was a father to the needy,
    and I championed the cause of the stranger.^(F)
17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
    and made them drop their prey from their teeth.^(G)

⁸ Will you show partiality toward him;
    will you plead the case for God?